


Prom Night

by HedwigsTalons



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Coming Out, F/M, M/M, Prom Night, Social Anxiety, self doubt, teenage sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:22:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25637266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HedwigsTalons/pseuds/HedwigsTalons
Summary: Alan isn't sure if he wants to go to senior prom so the brothers share their stories from high school.  Rated M for Scott's contribution but this is marked and can be skipped.
Relationships: Gordon Tracy/Male OC, Scott Tracy/female OC
Comments: 13
Kudos: 28





	Prom Night

**Author's Note:**

> This fic came about after a misread comment. Somehow 'pompoms' became 'prom prompts' and the boys started demanding that yes, they would like to go to prom.
> 
> At the same time I foolishly mentioned about wanting to expand my writing horizons so each boy's contribution has a distinctly different feel. To that end Scott ended up with my first attempt at smut, hence the rating on this fic. If smut is not your thing this fic can still be enjoyed with that section skipped, each brother's story is a standalone piece. I have clearly marked the beginning and end so you can scroll on past Scott's tale if you wish.
> 
> Thanks need to go to both hodgehegposts and willow-salix from Tumblr who helped with structure, ideas and checking it over.

Scott watched Alan from across the room, the teen had been staring at the tablet screen for at least the last fifteen minutes, his face a picture of indecision.

“What’s up?” he asked, curious as to what was worrying his brother.

“Nothing much,” Alan sighed, not lifting his eyes from the tablet as Scott came to join him on the couch.

“Really? You’ve been brooding over that screen ever since you picked it up, what’s the matter?”

Knowing that he risked Scott imagining the worst and going into full smother hen mode he passed the tablet across.

“I guess, having done online school, I just kinda forgot stuff like this happens.”

“Senior prom, huh? Ticket deadline is soon, you should order yours.”

“I don’t think I’m going to go.”

“Why on Earth not? It’s senior prom, it marks the end of your time at school, you’ll have a great time.”

“Well for a start, what if I’m needed on a rescue?”

“You’re allowed a night off, Al. And if we really needed you Thunderbird One can be at your location in…” he paused, checking the details in the email, “...10 minutes tops.”

“I’ve never even met these people before. It’s one thing seeing them from behind a screen but this is different. I’m still not sure about this.”

“Not sure about what?” asked Gordon, bounding up the stairs from the kitchen, followed by Virgil and John at a rather more sedate pace. “Cos if you’re talking about Grandma’s ‘welcome home’ cake for John you’d be right, I swear it’s going to need a jackhammer to break through the icing crust. I think she has a special dinner planned too which is why we raided the cupboards first.” He chucked some bags of chips at Scott and Alan who caught them gratefully.

“Senior prom” clarified Scott, “Alan’s not sure he wants to go.”

“Aw man, senior prom is a blast. Cheap punch, cheesy music, sticking to the floor of the sports hall; what’s not to love?” 

“Like that’s going to sell it to him, Gordon” John commented with an eye roll. “And I’m sure Alan’s prom will be a bit different to what the old High School in Kansas put on for us.” 

“Gordon’s right, you’ll have a great time.” Virgil chipped in

“That’s exactly what Scott said, well, not about Gordon being right but about me having a great time.” Sometimes it still unnerved Alan a little just how in tune his two oldest brothers were with each other. “But what if I embarrass myself?”

“You won’t. But if you do, well, let's just say you wouldn’t be the first Tracy to be doing the walk of shame on prom night.” Virgil shot a meaningful look at Scott as he said this.

“Hey, I have nothing to be ashamed of. You on the other hand…” Scott countered.

Gordon grinned devilishly. “You know, I think I’ve still got the photo of John in his tiara. That blush was incredible.”

“It was NOT a tiara.” 

“Erm, is anyone going to clue me up on what the hell you guys are all on about?” 

There was some uncomfortable shuffling among the four older brothers at the memories, both good and bad, that the conversation had reawakened.

“I think we should start at the beginning.” Gordon sat back, the grin still on his face. “After you Scott. I mean, how can Alan make an informed choice about senior prom if he doesn’t know exactly what he could be missing out on?”

Scott shrugged. “I guess it’s not fair to keep it from him now. But we ALL share our stories, right?” He waited until he had three distinct nods of agreement, even if John’s needed a dig in the ribs to be forthcoming and looked like it was being given under duress. “Okay Alan, time for you to find out about senior prom night.”

XOXOXOX

**SCOTT SECTION**

XOXOXOX

The hall was dark, the refreshments bland and the music a little too loud to be comfortable. Scott was prepared to look past all that though, this was the culmination of twelve years of grade school and his class was determined to have fun. Exams were over and after tonight the next time and last time he would be returning to the High School would be to collect his diploma.

He was dressed up to the nines and knew that he was the object of many admiring glances, the close cut tuxedo emphasised his height and athletic build. He’d always been popular, always been able to turn heads thanks to the combination of bright blue eyes and dimples he’d been blessed with but tonight his self-confidence had swelled to new levels. It probably helped that his arm was adorned by one of the cutest girls in the room, his carefully selected accessories perfectly matching Caitlyn’s prom dress and clearly marking them out as a couple.

Out on the dancefloor his hands skimmed down the smooth sides of his partner’s cobalt blue satin gown. The music changed to a slower track and he pulled her close against him, teasing her with a light kiss before whispering in her ear.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“And you, Scott, are a terrible flirt.”

He grinned at the accusation and just held her a little tighter, his hands creeping lower to rest at the top of her buttocks. “Would you want me any other way?”

The only answer he got was Caitlyn standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. The action of her sliding up, then down his body before settling back to lay her head against his shoulder sent a thrill through him and left him feeling hornier than a deer in rutting season. They whirled slowly in the darkness, surrounded by the other couples that had either come to prom together or formed that night, the air heavy with the scent of summer and teenage hormones. He was glad the lights were so low because he was sure his suit would be doing nothing to hide his frustrations. 

The slow numbers came to an end and the couples began to break apart as the beat sped up or drifted away from the dance floor completely to fetch drinks.

“You okay, Cait?” Scott asked when his girlfriend showed no signs of moving. If anything she seemed to be pressing herself closer in a way that was setting off fireworks in his brain.

“I’m fine, it’s maybe just a bit noisy in here.”

“We could go find somewhere a bit quieter, if you want?”

Scott was sure that the hunger that must be evident in his eyes was mirrored in hers as Caitlyn gazed up at him. She nodded and Scott wasted no time in weaving a path through the dancing students towards one of the exits.

The doors of the hall shut behind them, muffling the music. A few other students were out in the brightly lit corridor, either taking a break from the heat and noise or making a trip to the nearby bathrooms. None of them paid much attention as Scott gently took Caitlyn’s hand and the couple headed away from the prom.

Down the corridor and around a corner they went to a hallway lined with deserted classrooms. Scott tried a few door handles as he went and soon found a room that had been left unlocked. They ducked inside, shutting themselves inside the shadowy space, surrounded by ranks of empty desks the classroom felt eerily quiet compared to the usual bustle of the school in the daytime.

The atmosphere wasn’t enough to dampen the mood of the couple. As soon as the door clicked shut hands started wandering and Scott’s suspicions were confirmed that he wasn’t the only frustrated party; Caitlyn’s hands slid inside his jacket and up his back while his own held her hips, pulling her firmly against himself. Scott bowed his head, hungrily kissing Caitlyn in the darkness. Her lips parted eagerly as she returned his affections and his tongue met hers in an expression of teenaged lust. 

His erection was straining against his clothes now and against Caitlyn’s body which was still crushed up against his. He carefully guided her to the edge of a low supplies cupboard and gently lifted her so she was perched on the edge. She slipped his jacket from his shoulders and Scott chucked it onto a nearby desk before returning his attention to the girl in front of him. He mentally thanked the fashion gods that the trend for floor length hemlines was over as he found the bottom edge of Caitlyn’s skirt and slid it up her thighs, stepping between her exposed legs. He continued to slide his hands higher, slipping under the silky material, and found himself smirking slightly at the distinct absence of underwear under the gown. He ghosted a thumb over her clitoris and was rewarded with a gasp before he moved his hands to cup the sides of her head and draw her in for another kiss.

If he’d had any doubts about how far Caitlyn wanted to take this they were dispelled as she reached for his belt, tugging at the stiff leather before moving swiftly on to the fly of his pants. A hand slipped in past the top edge of his boxers and it was Scott’s turn to stifle a moan as Caitlyn grasped his length and stroked it.

“You sure you want to do this, Cait?” Scott checked, hoping she wasn’t going to leave him hanging. The signs seemed pretty strong but he needed to be sure before he took it any further. Caitlyn nodded as she hitched her dress higher; he shucked his own underwear and pants down in response, properly freeing himself from the constricting formal wear.

Scott dug a condom out of his pocket, ripped at the wrapper and quickly put it on before realigning himself between Cait’s thighs. He entered her slowly, conscious of the lack of foreplay and having to fight against his own frustrations that would have had him thrusting deep from the outset.

Cait bit down on her lower lip at the intrusion. This might not have been the first time for her and Scott but he was well built and she could feel herself being stretched by the thick muscle. Once Scott has entered her fully he began to move with gentle rocks, allowing her to relax around him. The slow pace was soon frustrating for both of them and she hooked her legs around him, opening herself up and drawing him in deeper.

Scott seized on the encouragement and drove in harder. He could feel his excitement building as he kissed her neck, thumbing her breasts through the bodice of the dress. The cupboard rocked slightly and knocked against the wall with every thrust Scott made. The panting gasps coming from Caitlyn showed Scott she was close to the edge. He knew her tells by now and the set of nails digging into his backside, pulling him in as deep as possible, showed she was close to orgasm. 

The moment was rather ruined by the door opening and the classroom light clicking on, bathing the couple in harsh white light.

“Mr Tracy! Miss Miller!” 

The nails in his backside clenched to the point of drawing blood but this time Cait’s tension was through fear rather than excitement. That final pull in deep tipped him over his own edge and Scott felt his orgasm release as the Vice Principal’s voice cut across the room. 

There was no talking his way out of this one. He had been caught with his pants down, literally, his bare ass on display. All he could do was hang his head. At least his back was to the doorway allowing him to shield Cait from view and try and maintain some shred of decency. 

“I will be waiting outside the door to escort the pair of you from the premises. That sort of behaviour will not be tolerated in this school. Prom night is over.”

XOXOXOX

**END OF SCOTT SECTION**

XOXOXOX

“Dad was so mad at you when he got the call from the Principal next day. Didn’t she insist you had to bring a family member when you went to collect your diploma ‘cos she wouldn’t let you back on school property unaccompanied?” asked Virgil.

“And then there was the resulting ‘talk’ from Dad,” John grimaced. “I still feel queasy thinking about it now.”

“Hey, at least you three went through it together. I had to deal with the man to man chat from Dad on my own,” cut in Gordon. 

“That’s reminds me,” said Scott, suddenly feeling guilty, “you and I need to have a little talk at some point, Alan”.

“Uh, we’re good,” Alan blushed. “Gordon already took it upon himself to share his wisdom a while back. And trust me, he went into way more detail than I ever wanted to know.”

Gordon just looked smug as Scott shot him a look. “What can I say? We might live on an isolated island but that’s no reason for him not to be educated. Just as well I did take it upon myself if you're only just thinking of it now. And my experience is _far_ broader than yours.”

“Can we move on?” Alan pleaded. “I really don’t need to know any more about my brothers’ sex lives. Please tell me your prom night didn’t go the same way.” 

Now it was Virgil’s turn to shift uncomfortably as Alan shot the final comment his way. “Uh, no, but Dad wasn’t exactly happy with me either.” 

XOXOXOX

Virgil stood at the shadowy edges of the hall, the musician in him trying to provide a distraction by working out the time signature and key of each song as it came on. It wasn't a taxing exercise; most of the plastic pop being played was formulaic to say the least. The cluster of friends around him ebbed and flowed as people disappeared off to dance or returned with fresh drinks but he only had eyes for one person. 

Kate.

There she was, not far from the punchbowl, laughing at some unknown comment from one of her friends. She was captivating and to Virgil the most stunning girl in the room. 

For weeks he had been trying to pluck up the courage to ask her to prom but had never quite made it to that final hurdle. To his surprise and amazement though, no one else had claimed her as their date, either that or she had spurned the advances of all who had asked. That second thought was hardly encouraging; if she had rejected all comers what chance did he have?

He slipped a hand inside his jacket and drew out the concealed hip flask. The flask had been a gift from Scott on his last birthday and was now filled to the brim following a raid on his father’s scotch bottle. After checking for unwanted observers among the faculty in attendance he took a deep pull then slid the flask back into its hiding place. Taking a deep breath he headed towards the refreshment table.

“Hi Kate. So you came to prom?” God, he must sound like an idiot. Of course she came to prom, she was stood right in front of him. What was it about her that stopped all rational thought?

Kate turned, her eyes sweeping up and down the cut of his tux in a way that made him feel incredibly exposed. Despite the reassurances of his family he still felt like a gorilla dressed up in a suit. Newly developed muscles, a consequence of discovering the weights bench over the last year, still felt alien to him after a lifetime of being on the scrawny side. He’d taken to hiding under oversized plaid but there was no hiding now, the formal wear only served to emphasise the shape he hadn’t yet reconciled himself to. 

“Hi Virg, of course I came. So, did you bring a date tonight?”

“Um, no, it’s just me.” He could feel the panic rising. This was Kate for goodness sake, they shared a lot of classes, he spoke to her most days, but right now he wanted the ground to swallow him up. She must think he was such a loser for being here alone.

“Me neither. Much more freedom to see where the night takes us.” 

That sealed it. She obviously wasn’t interested in having a date for prom. Better to bail now before he completely embarrassed himself. He made a big show of just being over her way to grab some punch before heading back to the shadows.

There was no way she could be interested in him. How could she be when Scott had pretty much cemented himself at school legend status. He was a pale comparison to Scott with his place on the track team, a ticket to Yale and his pick of the girls who all seemed to fall for those perfect dimples. Even his choice in girls felt like he was a mere shadow of Scott. Kate; to him she was beautiful but was he just pining after a lesser version of Cait in his effort to emulate his older brother. No. Be sensible, Virgil. Kate is perfect. Unlike you.

The flask made a reappearance and another long pull was drained.

Two more aborted attempts to ask Kate to dance followed as the alcohol invaded his blood stream and lowered his inhibitions. Even the bolstering of an aged single malt couldn’t help him overcome his insecurities though and each time he bailed out before actually uttering the question.

The torment of the evening that felt like it was both an eternity and over far too quickly came to a close as the final dance was called. It was now or never. He paused to drain the last contents of the flask and weaved his way unsteadily towards Kate. Unfortunately his normally co-ordinated body was refusing to obey properly and he was waylaid by a rogue chair that appeared in his path, hindering his progress across the room. The stumble cost him mightily and he was forced to watch as Kate claimed the nearest available person to her and headed to the floor to enjoy the final song.

He didn’t stick around after that and escaped into the night via the quickest exit. He dug his car key out of his pocket but after fumbling two attempts to unlock the machine decided that perhaps it would be wiser to walk home and collect the car the next day.

It was well past midnight by the time he finally made it home and found the front door mercifully unlocked so he didn’t have to try and battle with keys again. Not so fortunately for him his father had waited up to check he got home safely.

Jeff took one look at the listing teen and guided him gently but firmly to a chair.

“What have you had and how much?” The tone was stern as his mind raced through the worst case scenarios of the various narcotics available to a kid with the right funds to buy them. It was some relief to him when the empty flask appeared and Virgil slurred the single word.

“Scotch.”

So that accounted for his bottle being rather lighter that he remembered when he had poured his own measure earlier on. He removed the flask from Virgil’s hand and replaced it with a glass of water, now he was confident that no other treatments would be necessary.

“I thought you had more sense than this, Virgil, although as least it looks like you weren’t stupid enough to drive home. You didn’t try and drive, did you?”

“Car’s still at school. I’ll fetch it in the morning.”

Virgil was unable to meet his eye and Jeff severely doubted Virgil would be in any state to go anywhere in the morning. There was something else that worried him though, something more than the shame at being caught three sheets to the wind on stolen alcohol on prom night. 

“Why did you do it, son?”

There was a pause before Virgil answered “Dutch courage, maybe?”

“Dutch courage? What on Earth had you so worried that you thought turning to alcohol was a good idea?”

In the hazy fog of drunkenness Virgil found his emotional barriers lowered and his tongue loose. He started to explain about Kate and then it all came spilling out, how he wasn’t good enough and how sorry he was for being such a disappointment. Jeff listened and his heart broke. He’d always encouraged his sons to strive for excellence but here was one son who seemed to see every missed mark as failure when this was far from reality.

“Virgil, look at me. You have talents and skills that others can only dream of. You need to stop comparing yourself to your brothers and start looking at who _you_ are and what _you_ can do. You are all different and all amazing in your own special ways. I don’t want you to take after Scott, that’s not who you are. I think it’s time to stop hiding and start living your life. I can’t promise that there won’t be failure along the way, life never runs that smoothly, but you need to take risks and not just shy away because you think someone else might do it better.”

XOXOXOX

“So you see,” Virgil concluded, “I can completely understand where you’re coming from about being nervous.”

“But you always seem so confident now.” Alan was struggling with the concept of a Virgil plagued by self-doubt.

“Back then though I always felt like I couldn’t measure up to the standards Scott had set and I had John hot on my heels; he was only one grade below me by that point when by rights he should have been three.”

“But you can do so much that the rest of us can’t. How on Earth could you think you weren’t as good?”

“I can see that now, and that there will always be something that someone else can do better than me; I mean look at how well you pilot Three. I needed to learn to be comfortable and accept who I was. Just because I wasn’t top as everything didn’t make me a bad person. Thing is, by not having faith in myself I made sure I didn’t have a great night. I was so worried about failing that I made myself miserable by not trying at all. Who knows if she would have agreed to dance with me, I didn’t take the risk and now I’ll never know. I can tell you one thing though, alcohol isn’t the answer; the hangover was a killer and once I’d sobered up Dad made life pretty uncomfortable too.”

Alan squirmed a little as Virgil’s story resonated uncomfortably. Potentially being needed on a rescue was just an excuse, his real doubts about prom stemmed from the fear that his classmates might not actually like him in real life. Compared to the shining talents of his brothers it was easy to ignore his own skills; the comparison stick was a pretty big one to beat yourself with when you were a Tracy. Add in the social insecurities of not having dealt with many people in the outside world (rescue situations didn’t count, that was work) and senior prom was a terrifying prospect.

He tried to push the doubts to one side and turned to the next brother down the line.

“I’m not sure what I’m more surprised about, Dad letting you go to prom after what those two got up to or you even wanting to go in the first place.”

“I didn’t want to go, not because I was worried but because those sorts of gatherings just aren’t my thing,” said John. “Really my story isn’t that interesting.”

“Are you kidding?” exclaimed Gordon “You fought the system and won the tacky tiara. And those rhinestones brought out the colour of your eyes a treat.”

“I think someone is a little jealous that out of all of us I was the only one that got crowned Prom King.”

“Wait, what, _John_ got made Prom King?!” Alan completely failed to keep the incredulity out of his voice. “Now this I have got to hear about.”

“Seriously Al, it’s not as trilling as it sounds.” There was a weary sigh of resignation. “I suppose I did agree to this though.”

XOXOXOX

John carried a stack of books back to the library. Most of his exams were over and he’d finished with the texts from those particular subjects. 

“Hey John, have you picked up your prom ticket yet?”

“Oh. Hi, Ryan,” he turned and greeted his friend from physics class. “No, not even sure I’m going to go. How about you?”

“No, I don’t think I’m going either.”

“Why not? I mean you’ve only mentioned once or twice or two dozen times how much you were looking forward to taking Daisy along. Has she finally realised you’re an even bigger science nerd than me and dumped your sorry ass?” 

Ryan was one of the few people he classed as a friend and who had actually welcomed his much younger self into the grade. Most of the rest of the senior year tended to ignore him which was a lot better than the resentment and open hostility he had been subjected to before most of the jerks had dropped out. 

“Nope, she still hasn’t seen sense there, luckily for me. Daisy’s the problem though. I went to get tickets for us both and I wasn’t allowed; got told that the prom is seniors only. It doesn’t feel right going when I can’t take her along.”

John could sense the crushing disappointment emanating off his friend. Ryan had been so buoyed up since getting a girlfriend and it pained him that the night that should have been a highlight of the year was being tainted by a petty school rule. His brow furrowed as he tried to think of a way round the problem, then the ghost of a smile played across his lips as a potential idea struck him.

“Here, give my books back for me,” he said, adding his own pile to Ryan’s already considerable stack.

“Hey, where are you off to?” Ryan called out as John headed down the corridor that led to the Principal’s office.

“Going to get Daisy a prom ticket,” he called back with a grin.

John was no stranger to the Principal’s office, mainly from all the times he had appealed to her to let him add an extra subject to his timetable or enter him for extra credit exams he had studied for at home, and more often than not he got his own way. This was going to be different though, he just hoped he had the balls to pull it off. He rapped smartly on the door and waitied to be called in.

The Principal heard the knock and bade the person enter. Her office had seen a lot of traffic this last week as it always did at this time of year. Giving out the prom tickets was a task that she could easily have allocated to one of the administrative staff but she liked the opportunity to speak to her senior students before they left the school for good and so convention had it that she kept hold of the coveted slips.

“Hello John, always a pleasure to see you,” she greeted the student who had become a bit of a favourite of hers.

“Hi, I’ve come to pick up two prom tickets please.”

“Of course, and who are you taking to prom?” The request for two tickets wasn’t an unusual one, seniors often sent in one half of a couple to claim both slips, especially if one of the pair was trying to avoid her for any reason. She pulled out the class lists so she could cross off the names.

“Daisy Summers.”

The Principal put down her pen and sighed. “Now really John, as I told your friend Ryan not two hours ago, Daisy is not eligible for a prom ticket.”

“Why not, Ma’am?” 

“She’s only a sophomore John, she is too young to go to prom and there can be no exceptions. Rules are rules.”

This was the opener John had been hoping for.

“Am I too young to go to prom?” he challenged, a determined glint in his eye.

“Of course not.”

“So let me get this straight. I, a sixteen year old, cannot take another sixteen year old student to prom because she is too young.” 

John kept his tone light and conversational but the challenge was there. At this stage the worst the Principal could do was ban him from prom, no great hardship seeing as he had never really intended to go in the first place.

The Principal appraised the student in front of her. He’d never given her any trouble previously but there was something about the way he held himself that showed a steely resolve. She knew how single minded and determined he could be. 

“Ah, in light of the special circumstances this year, perhaps an exception may be in order to permit you to take a guest from sophomore year or above.” she smiled, hoping this concession would be enough to appease him.

“Oh no Ma’am, I couldn’t ask you to go against your policy of no exceptions. Rules are rules,” he calmly quoted her own words back at her. 

“I see.” The Principal’s tone was steely, usually a well heeded warning to students that crossed her path. It was not a tone she had ever had cause to use with John and he seemingly paid it no attention.

“Indeed. So I’m sure you’ll agree the only way to move this forward is to have a refresh of the rules.”

“And what exactly is it that you are asking for Mr Tracy?” Normally the use of surnames would leave a student quaking; John remained infuriatingly unperturbed.

“Principal Green, I am politely requesting that you change the rule so that all students may be permitted to take a guest from another year group to prom.” If she could up the formality, so could he.

“Absolutely not.”

“Now what was the name of that reporter you had me speak to last week when you wanted to use my Harvard acceptance to shine such a glowing light on the school? He seemed so keen to hear about my experiences here.” There was no attempt to hide the threat that was delivered with measured politeness.

Part of her wanted to call his bluff but the Principal was incredibly conscious of just how much she had used his abilities and successes to fly the flag and raise the reputation of the school. She had used his brilliance for her own end and now it was time to pay up. She drew out a blank sheet of paper, titled it Guest Tickets, and affixed it to the back of the class lists before carefully penning in the name Daisy Summers. She still couldn’t quite believe she was doing this, giving in to mere child and overwriting the time honoured convention for prom, but there was something so frustratingly reasonable about his request that she knew to deny it would end up with her looking the bigger fool.

“Your tickets, Mr Tracy” she said, passing two slips across her desk.

“May I please have a third? I may as well collect Ryan’s ticket while I’m here.”

The Principal pursed her lips but still handed across a third ticket. “I hope you enjoy your prom night Mr Tracy. I will have a notice put out regarding the newly available guest tickets.” The tickets and class sheets disappeared back into her desk. The slight slam of the draw acting as a sign of dismissal to the teen stood in front of her, still completely uncowed by her authority.

When John finally caught up with Ryan at the end of the day he couldn’t help grinning as he handed over two tickets.

“You can tell Daisy the good news that she’s on the official guest list. And all seniors can grab a guest ticket for another student too.”

“How the hell did you manage that?”

“Probably best not to ask.”

“Well, thanks. You know, you’ll have to come too now.”

And so, against his better judgement, John found himself attending his senior prom. It was everything he expected and more, with too many sweaty bodies crammed in into the hall. He wanted to slip away but every time he tried to make a break for freedom either Ryan or Daisy would seem to mysteriously appear at his elbow and steer him back towards the punch bowl or make futile attempts to drag him towards the dancefloor.

The halfway point of the evening approached and John resolved to use that as his chance to escape. Everyone would be busy gushing over the crowning of the prom king and queen and he could make his exit. As the Principal stepped onto the stage and approached the microphone he started heading towards the shadows at the back of the room.

“And now, senior class, the moment I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for. The votes have been cast and counted and it is my great honour to be able to announce this year’s king and queen.”

The Principal brandished an envelope supplied to her by the head of the prom committee and opened it with exaggerated care. As she withdrew the shiny gold card only those paying the closest attention would have noticed her features stiffen, the smile becoming more forced and fixed.

“Let us first crown our king, John Tracy.”

There was an uproar of applause from the assembled students, and John, who had nearly reached the sanctuary of the hallway, found himself grabbed and propelled towards the stage. He hadn’t been paying attention to the announcements and the sudden invasion of his personal space came as a shock. Evidently news of his stand-off with the Principal had spread among the student body and those at prom wanted to show their appreciation at him getting the attendance rules changed. He wished they’d found a different way.

Before he knew it he was stood on the brightly lit stage next to the chosen queen. He only later found out her name was Ebony, at the time he was too frozen in shock at being the centre of attention to focus on anything other than his breathing. 

A glittering circlet was placed on his head, thankfully rather more subtle than his consort’s crown, before he and his queen were ushered down to the dancefloor to complete the ritual with the obligatory dance. 

John could feel the blush set in his cheeks as he and Ebony revolved slowly round the floor, lit up by what felt like thousands of camera flashes. 

He resolved to think twice before ever helping out a friend again.

XOXOXOX

“That was the best attended senior prom in years wasn’t it?” Virgil asked.

“Must have been. After the rules changed all those cross-grade couples that had been excluded from it made a mad rush on the tickets. I think they had to move it from the hall to the gymnasium after that too to cope with the extra uptake.”

“So Scott got laid, Virgil got drunk and John staged a revolution,” Alan surmised. “And here was me thinking Gordon would have been the one to cause trouble at prom. Although I guess you might not have got to senior prom,” he turned to the remaining brother. “Wouldn’t it have clashed with your swimming?” 

“Oh I went to senior prom alright, just not my own.” 

“How does that one work?” asked Alan, his confusion evident.

“My animal magnetism. Got asked along as a date when I was a sophomore, and thanks to John I could go along on a guest ticket.”

“Yeah, that was a night to remember. Gordon actually in a tux through choice.” John threw the jibe at his younger brother as payback for the earlier insults about his crown.

“Ignore him,” prompted Virgil, “go on, tell Alan about your prom night.”

“Okay,” agreed Gordon, “it was a pretty important night for me after all.”

XOXOXOX

Gordon tweaked at the edges of his bow tie. It was already perfectly tied, Virgil had seen to that, but his hands needed _something_ to do and he stood nervously in front of the bathroom mirror, checking everything was in place. It felt odd seeing himself all dressed up, the tuxedo a far cry from his usual choice of loud shirts and jeans, but he had to admit he looked good. The suit was a deep midnight blue, subtly different to the traditional black, with a sunflower yellow pocket square as a nod to his more habitual style.

A loud rap on the door cut through his contemplations.

“Gords? You okay in there?” Virgil’s voice was tinged with concern. Okay, maybe he had been hiding in the bathroom a little too long.

“I’m fine. Be out in a minute.” He ran a comb once more through his hair, listening as the heavy tread of his brother sounded on the stairs, before heading out to face the family.

Nervous wasn’t a normal part of his emotional vocabulary but tonight was important. It wasn’t every day you got to go to senior prom, especially when you weren’t even in senior year, but he had a date and he was intending to make the most of it. In all likelihood his swimming training would mean big changes to his education before long and this could be his one and only shot at going, even if it was as a ‘plus one’, so he was going to grab the opportunity with both hands.

He headed downstairs to where the whole family was waiting in the lounge, just as they had been for each of his brothers before him. By rights this should have been John’s senior prom year but by luck of being bumped a few grades the smart ass had already cleared this hurdle. Said older brother was now draped across an armchair, appraising him over the top edge of a book.

In fact, all of them were giving him the once over, as if not quite fully believing that he had actually stuck to the dress code. He was sure more than one bet had been made between siblings about whether he would try going in jeans or sneakers. He squirmed, feeling uncomfortably like an animal at the zoo, and made to fiddle with his bow tie again.

“Leave it.” The command stilled his hand before it was even half way to his collar. “I spent ages getting that right for you. Don’t go messing it up now.”

“Sorry Virg.” The apology was accompanied by a sheepish grin which his brother returned with a much brighter one. Even if he had messed it up he knew Virgil or one of the others would come to his rescue, try as he might he just hadn’t been able to get the damned thing right on his own.

“You look fine, Son, she’s one very lucky lady,” Jeff commented. “Now, how about a few solo snaps for the family album before your date gets here? And I need some of you as a couple too or your Grandma will never let me hear the end of it.”

Gordon submitted to the obligatory photos but his eyes kept straying to the clock, counting down to showtime.

“So what time’s she due?” Scott asked as Gordon checked the clock for at least the 14th time.

“Eight.” Great, the nerves had reduced him to monosyllabic answers. Get a grip, Gordon.

“Y’know, me or Virg could have driven you tonight. I get that you aren’t exactly the traditional couple but even if you have bagged a cougar it _is_ more usual for the man to pick up his date.”

“It’s fine, Scott. Honest.” 

“Now Gordon, I want you to behave tonight. It’s senior prom and some there might let their hair down a little or partake in illicit substances.” Jeff directed a stern look at both Scott and Virgil who squirmed a little in their seats as he gave his fatherly warnings. “But there’s no excuse for you to join in with that sort of behaviour. Unlike the seniors you still have a few years left at the school. You probably wouldn’t have been allowed to go at all if it wasn’t for John here ripping up the rule book so no doing anything that will bring shame on this family.”

All Gordon could do was nod mutely. He had every confidence that his date would arrive exactly on time and as the hands ticked ever closer to eight he could feel his nerves rising. His father’s words about bringing shame on the family rang in his ears. He tried to psyche himself up like he would before a race but he couldn’t suppress that gnawing seed of doubt that his family would not approve.

The shrill sound of the doorbell cut across the quiet family small talk that had been gradually filing in the dead time before Gordon’s departure and he was halfway across the room before the chime had finished sounding.

He raced to the front door, wanting to do this on his terms. There on the front porch stood his date, looking stunning is pure black with yellow accessories to match Gordon’s own.

“Ready?”

“Ready if you are” Gordon nodded, leaning in for a quick kiss.

He led the way back down the hallway, his nerves growing with every step, before stepping into the lion’s den.

One of the problems of coming from a big family was that it was a lot of eyes to have turned on you when you were the centre of attention. Normally Gordon loved taking every opportunity to show off and knew how to play to an audience, but for once he would have liked a little less of the limelight. Unfortunately for him university term dates and Air Force leave had aligned to ensure there was a houseful as witness to this moment.

“Dad, this is Chris.” His voice came out a little too loud in the silence that had descended.

“Nice to meet you, Mr Tracy.” Chris reached out and Gordon watched as his father shook the proffered hand. That same hand then dropped back to his and Gordon clasped it gratefully as an anchor.

“Nice to meet you too, Chris” said Jeff, subjecting the young man before him to an appraising look. 

Gordon was very grateful that if his father did have any prejudices towards his boyfriend there was no evidence of them. Despite all Chris’ reassurances, despite all the pep-talks he’d given himself, Gordon had still had that little gnawing doubt that he would in some way be disappointing his family. Horrible scenes of him and Chris being thrown out the house has been playing through his mind all day.

“Hey Chris, so you’re the fool taking my kid brother to prom. Good luck.” Gordon was surprised at the voice from the armchair.

“Oh, hi Carrots. I think I can handle Gordon here. How’s life with the geeks?”

John rolled his eyes. “Harvard’s great, just peachy.” He buried himself back in his book, his social duties done. He remembered Chris from the early days of middle school, back when they had been in the same grade. He had been okay but the reappearance of the hated nickname reminded John that the guy could still be a bit of a jerk at times. Probably well suited to Gordon.

Gordon himself felt eternally grateful to John, not that he showed it. That short exchange between his brother and boyfriend had broken the tension in the room and soon the family were talking away as though they had known the guy for years, which in John’s case was true. Jeff was quizzing him intently about college plans while Scott was more interested in what sort of car he had. The requite photos were taken and by the last shots Gordon had even built up the courage to pose with his arm around Chris’ waist, the taller man’s arm draped around his shoulder.

Thankfully though it was soon time to head out to the prom proper and Gordon was glad to make his escape. In the dark confines of Chris’s car he let out a deep breath before finding his head being gently turned for an even deeper kiss. He savoured the moment as a warm tongue brushed against his and closed his eyes contentedly as a hand cupped the back of his head.

“See, I told you they would like me. Nothing to worry about.” Chris broke off the kiss far too soon for Gordon’s liking.

“I know. It’s just…”

“Hey, I get it, it’s a big step.”

“Worth it though” he grinned. “I think Virg might have suspected, especially when there was no corsage, but I don’t think any of the others did.”

The last few months had been difficult. He and Chris hadn’t exactly been attacking each other’s tonsils all over town but he hadn’t wanted rumours of his sexuality getting back to the family before he was ready. He’d never thought twice about bringing home girlfriends before, and really he knew he shouldn’t be worried about introducing his family to his first boyfriend, but still the doubts as to their reaction had been there. At least now it was out in the open.

“C’mon,” said Chis, finally starting the car. “We’ve got a prom to go to.”

XOXOXOX

“I can’t really remember much of the prom itself, I’d been so worked up about Dad meeting Chris the rest of it’s a bit of a blur,” said Gordon as he brought his tale to a close. “It was the standard school hall affair and pretty normal I guess.”

“You should have known Dad would have been okay with it, and the rest of us too,” said Virgil, nudging his shoulder into Gordon’s to try and dispel some of the tension he could sense resurfacing.

“I know. But it’s different when you are the one going through it. I didn’t want to feel like, I don’t know, like I’d let him down.”

“You could never let him down, Gords. I think he had more of a problem with you going off to prom with someone two years older than you than he did with you being bi,” cut in Scott. “Seriously, I wouldn’t have wanted to be in Chris’ shoes if he’d taken advantage of you at all, and that would have had nothing to do with him being male.”

“Okay, I get it, I shouldn’t have worried. And for the record,” Gordon stretched out, his usual self-confident grin making a reappearance, “Scotty wasn’t the only one to get some prom based action, we just had the sense not to get caught.”

XOXOXOX

Alan fiddled anxiously with his cufflinks, twiddling the bright red rockets until he risked damaging the crisp cuffs of his shirt. For the whole duration of the short flight he had been a bundle of nerves, far worse than if he was on his way to a rescue, and he was beginning to regret letting his brothers talk him in to it. At least on a rescue John would brief him on the flight but as his brothers had shown, you could never tell how prom night would go. Scott was providing transport and had promised to stay nearby with Thunderbird one, just in case he was needed; this had the extra advantage that he didn't have to worry about Virgil trying to smarten him up with spit.

“Relax Alan, it’ll be fine. Just think of it like one of Lady Penelope’s parties, you’ve been to plenty of those with people you don’t know.”

“Firstly, I don’t think Lady Penelope has ever hosted anything that resembles a high school prom. And secondly, you guys would be there as well.”

Scott sensed the panic rising in Alan. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the similarities between him and John extended to more than just a shared love of space. Alan might have a strong and confident presence in the digital world but out in the wild, without his brothers around or a rescue to keep him focussed, social situations were not within his comfort zone.

“You know, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can turn One around right now and have you home quicker than Virg can get the hot chocolates ready.”

“Thanks, but it’s ok. Just feels a bit pathetic to be eighteen and worried about a simple prom.”

“Hey, less of the pathetic. We all have the things that worry us, just don’t keep it bottled up like Virg did. And definitely no alcohol.”

“Give me some credit,” Alan snorted, “no way in hell am I going to risk getting grounded. Last time one of you guys took Three up without me it took me a week to get the settings just right again.”

Scott grinned. There was the Alan they all knew and loved, fiercely protective of his ‘bird just as they all were. 

He brought One in to land at the nearest GDF base and sent Alan off in the car arranged for the purpose. Hopefully he would have a quiet night on standby and wouldn’t be seeing his little brother again until the prom finished at midnight.

For Alan, the nerves that Scott had managed to dispel on the flight over began to resurface as he sat alone in the auto-drive taxi. All too soon he was pulling up outside the school, the taxi doors opening automatically, prompting him that it was time to face the music. He might have studied remotely but his classes were arranged by a regular physical school with most of his peers studying there in person. They knew each other and he was the virtual outsider. The brightly lit up building with the music throbbing out into the night suddenly looked more scary than any blazing inferno. Maybe he could just find a bench somewhere outside and wait it out.

Before he could flee a cluster of students detached itself from the side of the building where they had been concealed in the shadows.

“Alan?” a voice called out, the silhouette resolving itself into a friendly face as the figures came nearer. “We were stoked when you said you’d got a ticket but we didn’t know if you’d actually make it. The world stopped being busy for once?”

It was a line he’d used so many times. Whenever an emergency pulled him away from a seminar or forced him to miss a group project deadline his stock excuse was that the world got busy. There was no malice or accusation in the question directed at him though. As the group moved out into the light the silhouettes resolved themselves into the familiar faces of his fellow advanced physics students. They were a small and select bunch and he had bonded with them as much as could be expected for people he had never actually met before. 

“Uh, yeah, I’m still on standby though.” He was very aware that at any time a call could come through the comms built into the shirt and whisk him away.

“That sucks. Let’s hope the world behaves for once, you deserve a night off. Come on, let’s head in.” 

Evidently, despite his usual physical detachment from him, and the very real risk that he might not have made it at all, the group had waited for him. His confidence swelled at the sense of belonging it gave him.

“So Rocket Boy, how’d you get here? You haven’t got your Thunderbird stashed on the field have you? Cos if you do you know I want a tour.” Amy. Ever since she’d found out his status as an International Rescue operative she had been dying to get a look at his ‘bird, especially after she found out that the rocket was his. It had become an ongoing joke between them. She had dreams of going into space and often said that if the World Space Agency rejected her application she’d hunt him down for a joyride. 

“Trust me, your field wouldn’t be the same again if I landed Three on it” he responded with a grin, settling into the comfortable chatter that tended to characterise their group calls. He might not be hidden behind a screen any more but the group weren’t treating him any differently and for this he was extremely grateful. 

Once inside the building the overwhelmed feeling started building again. His largest class had just 20 participants, advanced physics had just 5 of them; the hall in front of him contained hundreds. Even though it was pretty much exactly as his brothers had said it would be he still felt like a fish out of water. He stood there in the doorway, dumbstruck, as the others wandered in seemingly unperturbed by the crowd. He nearly ended up left alone until Amy, who seemed to have designated herself as his minder, came to the rescue.

“C’mon dumbass, move yourself, there’s a prom happening and I for one indend to dance until I get blisters.” 

There was something about her that reminded him of Gordon and he allowed himself to be dragged forcibly into the hall. The others were no longer in sight, swallowed by the crowd.

“Seeing as the others have deserted me it looks like it all falls on you. You get any time for dancing on that fancy pants island of yours?”

“Uh, not much” he squeaked, conscious that she still hadn’t let go of his hand.

“Ah well, you’ll have to learn quickly then, we both know the pressure from these heels could do some serious damage and I will not be held responsible for putting you out of action.”

Alan looked down to her feet where sure enough she was balanced on a wicked set of points. Equations relating mass and area flitted into his head as he found himself wondering just how much pain he would be in if he made a wrong move.

“Hey, Space Case, you still with me?” he blinked as a set of fingers, the ones not still grasping his own, were clicked in front of his nose, drawing him back to the present. She really was a force to be reckoned with but he was alright with being bossed about a bit, it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to it from home.

“Sure. Yeah. Dancing.” He led her towards the marked out dance floor and claimed a space trying to block out the whispers that he could tell were building around him. Evidently news had spread of his arrival and he could see people pointing at the pair of them out of the corner of his eye.

“Ignore them” Amy commanded. “They’re just jealous. Y’know half of them never really believed you existed. Well _obviously_ they knew you existed, I mean they didn’t believe you could still be enrolled in school, much less this one. About a third of the year group does online learning, we’re kinda known for it, but mostly it’s folks that are ill or live in the middle of nowhere, not hotshot rocket pilots. Now, let’s dance.”

Alan found his body complying automatically and before he knew it he and Amy were in the thick of it. Every so often they would take a break to grab drinks or if they spotted one of the others from their class. Evidently Amy’s assertion about dancing until she got blisters was a lie, when the killer shoes abused her feet she just discarded them under a table and carried on dancing.

For a rare moment in his life Alan found himself forgetting about duty and saving the world. For one evening he was a normal teenager, enjoying a normal prom with normal friends and he was immensely grateful he’d taken his brothers’ advice about giving it a go.

“Sorry Alan, we have a situation.” The voice of John sounded apologetically in his ear. “Thunderbird One is en route to your location, prepare for immediate pick up.”

Even over the beat of the music he could already discern the tell-tale vibrations that heralded the arrival of his brother. He activated the concealed comm in his shirt. “On my way, tell Scott there’s a handy sports field behind the school with his name on it.”

He turned back to Amy who had witnessed him seemingly speak to thin air. “Sorry Amy, duty calls. Wanna see a Thunderbird burn up your football field?"

The answering grin told him all he needed to know as she followed him in barefoot sprint out the hall leaving a startled mass of students behind him.

Evidently it was impossible for a Tracy to have a normal prom night.


End file.
